Honing tool



Jan. 1944.

w. c. RICK DEv HONZFNG TOOL Filed July 1 1942 I1 18 WILLIAM C. RICKRODE Patented Jan. 25, 1944 V UNITED STATES OFFICE 2 ,s40,o1s I Home '15001. I .1 4 William 0. Rickrode, Manchester Township ,.Y ork County, Pa., assignor'to'York Safe and Look Company, York, Pal, a corporation of Delaware Application July 1, 1942,- Serial No.--449,212

1 Claim. *(Ql. 51 1 s4.2) 1

This invention relates to honing tools andmore particularly to honing toolsof the type adapted to hone spiral grooves, such for instance as the rifiing of guns, cannons and rifles.

object of the invention is to, provide an improved honing tool which a plurality of abrasive elements are resiliently mounted in the body-of; the tool. 1

lAIlOthGl object of the invention is to provide an improved honing tool in which the body of the tool is in the form of a cylinder having a plurality of abrasive blocks arranged therearound in grooves formed lengthwise of said body at an angle with respect to the longitudinal center thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved honing tool for honing the rifiing of guns, cannons and the like, in which a plurality of abrasive elements are resiliently supported in a holder adapted to be moved lengthwise of the articles to be honed.

With the foregoing and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the preferred construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a honing tool constructed according to the present invention;

Fig.2 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken approxi- I mately on the line 44 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the abrasive elements.

Referring to the drawing, the improved honing tool comprises a body H, preferably in the form of a cylinder of suitable diameter and length to slide easily in the bore of a rifle, cannon, gun, or other device which it is desired to hone.

The longitudinal center of the cylindrical body ll may be formed with an opening l2 so that suitable means (not shown) may be secured to the tool for the purpose of operating the same.

Formed in the outer periphery of the body I l, is a. series of similarly constructed grooves 13.

The grooves I3, in cross section, may be substantially rectangular in form, and said grooves may have suitable depth.

The grooves l3 extend lengthwise of the body H, being suitably spaced apart in th manner shown best in Fig. 3.

Since the particular honing tool shown herein is adapted to be used for the purpose or finishing or smoothing the spiral. grooves-"ofrifles, "guns, cannons,.an'd' the like, as-shownin Fig. 1, the grooves 13 are arranged at an angle with respect to the longitudinal center line of the body I I, so

that the honingel'ementsor blocks of abrasive material willv fit properly in said spiral grooves. If so desired,-arcuate or semicircularends l4 may be formedat each'end of thegrooves l3.

Mounted in each groove I3, is a block l5 of abrasive material. These abrasive elements l5 are so constructed as to be freely movable inwardly and outwardly of the grooves l3, and each block [5 may have an arcuate end l6 corresponding substantially to the ends ll of said grooves. Since the grooves l3 are of elongated form, the

, abrasive blocks I5 likewis are elongated in form and said blocks have a width to snugly fit the rifiing grooves so that during the operation of the tool said rifiing grooves will be honed in the desired manner. i

In order to resiliently support each abrasive element IS in its groove l3, the bottom of each groove is formed with one or more recesses ll.

Mounted in each recess I1 and bearing against the bottom face of each abrasive block 15, is an expansible coil spring l8.

In Fig. 4 the device is shown as being constructed with a pair of spaced apart springs 18 under each abrasive block l5.

To limit the amount of outward movement of the abrasive blocks 15 with respect to the body ll, any suitable means may be employed. In the present instance such means is shown as comprising a pair of spaced rings 19 which encircle the tool and are mounted in alined slots 20 and 2|, formed in the body II and in the blocks l5, respectively.

The slots 2i may be disposed adjacent to the ends IE or the abrasive blocks 15, and the rings 19 are so arranged relative to the disposition of the springs l8 that the forces or" said springs acting against the forces of said rings prevent the abrasive blocks from rocking upwardly and downwardly lengthwise of the grooves Hi. In other words, the rings l9 retain the abrasive blocks IS in proper position in the tool so that smooth surfaces are produced during the honing operation. In this way better work will be produced with the use of the improved honing tool of the present invention than has been possible heretofore with known devices designed for a a similar purpose.

During operation of the improved honing tool, the abrasive blocks l5 may shift their positions in the body H as the result of the action of the springs I8 thereagainst, consequently the rings I9 should be of a flexible type and should have sufficient resiliency to at all times counteract the expansion of the springs I8 sufliciently to retain the abrasive blocks I5 in the desired position in the grooves I3 and to also prevent said abrasive blocks from being dislodged or misplaced from their respective grooves.

Since each abrasive element I5 is individually urged outwardly by its respective pair of springs I8, wear of the elements will not afiect the operation of the tool to properly hone at one time a plurality of rifling grooves, and therefore all of the rifiing will be honed smoothly and uniformly at one time by the operation'of the tool in well known manner. i

While I have described the form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing. from the essential characteristics thereof. The. present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the mounted in each groove, said blocks of abrasive invention ingreat I detail and with respect to the present preferred material having an outline corresponding in form substantially to the configuration of said spiral grooves andfreely movable in the grooves, a pair of holes formed in the bottom of each groove,

' each hole being spaced from the end of said groove, a spring mounted in each hole and bearing against the under surface of a block of abrasive material for urging the block outwardly with respect to the body, a transverse slot formed in the outer surface Of each abrasive block near the end thereof, and a flexible ring encircling said body and disposed in the alined slots at each end of said block for limitingthe amount of outward movement thereof with respect to the body.

WILLIAM C. RICKRODE. 

